Method of constructing open-top enamel-lined cylindrical tanks



Nov. 4, 1952 E. scHMlTz Er AL 2,616,163

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING OPEN-TOP ENAMEL-LINED CYLINDRICAL TANKS Filed March 12, 1948 Il l Raymond C Webez' Ewald Scl'zmz' Z INVENToRs:

mld/LM? fehl/4 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 4, 1952 .il This Vinvention relates to ia vmethod `of constructing'open*topfenamelrlined cylindrical ltanks and yhas particularerelation :to providing fa trough struct-ure -circumferentia-lly Vof ythe upper -edge 4of the tankand utilizing the xtroughstructure inthe enamel-ing-of the tank. A

Difficulty has been Nexperienced heretofore `in lining an open top tank or vessel of substantial diameter land generally thin wall with ceramic or vitreous enamel .-since in the firing -of Kthe enamel the problem of supporting the tank is presented to prevent any deformation-or fdistortion ofthe wall -of the tank -during -fheating and cooling with consequent injuny '.to the enamel lining.

Thegprincipal-lobj ect -of the present invention `is to provide afmethod of constructing 'enamel-lined metal vessels of substantial ydiameter and thin Wall which are lopen at -the top, without Linjury to the enamel. A

Another objectof theinvention is to .provide a less expensivemethodof-iabricating enamel-lined open top vertical tanks.

A further object to lprov-ide an open top enamel-lined vertical ftankwith means to trap products of fermentation Another lobject V-isjtoprovi'de an open -top vert-ical vtanl; of generall'y large diameter fand thin wall with ya trough "at the top to 'catch Waste products and -to stiilen :and strengthen the upper end of the tant: wall.

lAnother object -is toprovide'lanimproved method of supporting an open top YCrtical'ta-nkduring firing Aof `the enamel lining `thereto to prevent injury tothe enamel.

A-further obj ectis to provide afmethod o f lining open top vvertical 'tanks -toflneep dust and foreign matter from contacting 'the enamel lduring lring.

lAnother object is Atofprovide a method of vconstructing enamel-lined open top vertical tanks which makes 1itlpo'ssible rto ,-fl'rethe tank in a direct V--re furnace with thetankserv-ing as la mufile vto '-control the atmosphere inside vthe tank during the-ming 'of "the enamel.

v'Another 'object -is [to provide af-inethog, of providing the enamel-lining of a :pair of tanks :in va. .'Singlefiring'bperation.

These and Eother rkibjee'ts foi 'the `invention `will appear hereinafter yin connection with the following description *of the drawing tillustrating several embodiments o'i theinvention;

Figure 1 A--is van elevational view of a .pair vof vtanksassembledin'accordance-with-the invention and disposedfin an enameling `Afurnace for 4firing ci the enamel :link-1g;

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4Figure 2 is Aan enlarged detailed -seci'lional "view of aportion-of the tanks of F-igure Tl;

Fig. -3 is an elevational view withpat's 'broken away-and sectioned -toshow atank 'completed in accordance withfthe invention; lTand Fig. P4 a view similar to Fig. "2 illustrating another-methodpf cafr'ving out'the invention.

AReferer-im.; to fing. i3 of the drawing, 'there is shown a `y'vertical tankl or 'vessel I 'crilpited 'in accordance with 'the invention and comprising the :generally cylindrical 'shell v2 open .fattleftofp and closed-at.thehottomnytheiheau 3 icniis engagea by suitable supona. The vinside 'of Shel-1 `12 and `v`head 3 'are .provided iii-ith 'a lir'iinfg "il of j'ceramic or vitreous v'enamel ,to 'protect the metal o'f the shel1and .head fi'n corrosin by containediluids-or-liqiids.

Anann ularflang"e5 Whichisslwn'as being of a L generally -L shape Tislj'oine'd to the tside o f shell 2 of the tank slightlyfbelo'w 'the Vupper Aend thereof by -the circumferential Wld's "6 to Jprovide trough extending arond the 'circumference of the tank tq atchrroducts for term-exitation djana then-ke which .spill ,over ,the iipp'r ejd'ge if `shell 2. kThe thicknessof 'th'e Tir-fetaltify l"i'e' fanniil'ajr il-ange 5 is 4about 'the svae Tas "Ttliat vwof the 'shell asas b estseep innigsjajs fai-1a '4, :rnisunifrmity of section of the metal 'ifvis T01' del '6X- pans'ion and lcontraction 'f fthe rtal during firingame-menagerltheenaininfng.

The apgedtrogh "5 eiteiicls iifialli' beyond the endyf Shell alfaitial itaicft'o Y)ifisure that 'the fermentation products 'will 'be l'entrapped Iand toprovid'e "clearance of the `'shell end to carry out they'metho'd 'o' the "invention, which will be described. y

The manhole 1 is vprovided 'slell '2 "with la. suitable closure-therefore -so that access to the inside-ofthetankJnfiay--begained `lUnder tnismethodehen v.2 @f tapk l. 'which is shown in Fig. f3 and 'also as the "tank "to evthe left vFigure 1, is .'-p'reparea 'for erinnern" 'ty rounding off lthe Y.upper inner Aend v`8 v"i'flir'efof to removgthe sharp corner on 4the inside of "the she11. The lhead 3 is @werdeaftb'the "iowe'rena "di sh ell 2 to close off th'c'samefand flanged 'trough s is joined' t the inner nifto tire outside or Shen iz by "ifre'ntiai "wenst fsiightlybiow tis fare ito betta'c'ne ilt'o `J*head 3 3 they are Welded thereto at the time trough 5 is joined to the shell or at least before any enameling is done.

It will be noted that the welding of any supports to head 3, or of the trough 5 to the shell 2, prior Nto venameling the inner surface of the shell, will eliminate 'the danger of crazing .the enamel causedby the'h'eat from welding.

A tank 9, which corresponds to tank I and which is illustrated in the drawing at the right in Figure l, is fabricated and .welded together the same as tank I and provided with a trough I which corresponds to trough 5 of tank I.

Trough of tank I is next 'joined to trough I of tank 9 by circumferential'weld I I to seal tanks4v I and 9 together, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The tanks are then annealed and sandblasted to prepare the same for enameling.

The inside of tanks or vessels I and 9 are next sprayed with enamel slip': The inside surface of troughs 5 and I is merely coated with a dust coat of slip to keep the metal of the troughsfrom scaling during firing. The spraying of the enamel slip on the inside -of thejtanks, as well as'any of the other operations on 'the inside of the tanks, is accomplished jby 'working throughmanhole After the spraying is completed,the'tanks I and 9 are fired in furnace I2 in a horizontal position, as lshown in Figure l, at temperatures approximating 1600 F. to fuse the enamel Yto the steel and provide the enamel lining Manholes 'I are temporarily sealed off during the ring'of the tanks and sufficient internal pressure is maintained on' the inside 0f the tanks during the firing to prevent deformation. The tanks are supported in furnace I2 on their heads leaving the thinner shells of the tanks free to expand and contract. y The welding of the troughs of tanks I and 9 together, as described, provides a unitary structure which makes it possible to accomplish support'of the structure on the heads during the fusing of the enamel to the respective tanks. In' addition, the tanks can be red in a direct fired furnace ratherv than requiring a furnace which the atmosphere is controlled, since the gases inside the tanks areinert as the inside of the tanks is sealedoff from the atmosphere during the firing operation.

After firing, the tanks VI and 9 are removed from the furnace and allowed'to cool. The application of another coatof enamel anda second firing operation 'may also be carried out. The tanks are then cutapart or otherwise separated at circumferential'weld I I which joins troughs 5 and I0 together, to provide two separate open top vertical tanks, as illustrated by the -tank Fig. 3.

The troughs serve Vto catch products of fermentation, such asffoam if the vessel is used in beer fermentatioi'i,l and may be painted on the inside to protect them from corrosion. 'The troughs are provided, as shown in Figs.v 2 and 3 as respects trough 5, with anoutletfor drainage which comprises aspu'd I3 lwelded into the bottom ofthe trough and a removable plug I4 secured therein.Y The products of fermentation may be piped off from the trough if desired..

Under another embodiment of the'invention,

as illustrated in Fig. 4, the channel member I5v is ,welded to the outside of tanks I and 9 adjacent their open ends to join the tanks together during the firing operation to fuse' the enamel lining 4 place. Thereafter the channel is cutcircumferentially in the center to separate the tanks and provide trough V5 on vess'elI and trough I0 on vessel 9. This method eliminates initially joining the troughs together by circumferential weld II. In this embodiment a non-corrosive easily removable metal band I6 is disposed across the joint between the tanks to prevent foreign material from the troughs in firing from getting into theitank's.' a Y *Y* g lThe invention provides a method of making open top enamel-lined vertical tanks of relatively large diameter and thin wall wherein it is possible `to support each tank at its thicker head portion during firing leaving the thinner shell Walls free. Also, the tanks may be fired in a direct re furnace since the securing Aof the tanks together makes the structureoperate as a muiiie and the coating on the inside ofthe tanks is not exposed to the air during firing. Costs 0f production are decreased by enameling and firing two tanks in a single operation and especially where two coats of enamel are ired into place.

The providing of the troughs on the tanks makes it feasible to carry-out the method of the invention. The troughs rather than the tanks are cut apart and no injury to the enamel coating ofthe shells occurs in this operation. Also, the troughs permit two tanks to be `fired' at one time and provide for the sealing off of the tanks during firing. v Y

Various embodimentsv ofy the invention may be employed within the scope of` the accompanying claims.

We claim:

l.' Av method of fabricating an open top enamellined vertical cylindrical tank of relatively large diameter and thin wall and having a circumferential upwardly facing trough external to the open end thereof, comprising constructing an open and cylindrical tank, welding to the outer circumference of the wall of the tank a trough structure having a flange portion extending outwardly from the tank wall and spaced a short distance from the end edge of the tank and having a generally cylindrical wall portion of larger diameter than the'diameter' ofthe tank and spaced radially therefrom with said wall portion; extending from said flange portion longitudinally of the tank beyond the end edge "of the tank wall and having an endr closure for the open end of the tank leaving said edge free and in non-s contacting relation withres'pect-tofsaid trough structure and end closure, applying enamel slip to the insideof the tank and over said free end edge thereof, fusing and bonding the slip to the tank by ring the same in a furnace while maintaining the inside of the tank substantially closed off from the'atmosphere in lthe furnace, supporting the tank horizontally during said'ring step at the end head ofthe tankand at said closure, and thereafter severing saidclosure from the cylindrical portion of said trough structure at acircumferential line invsaid 'cylindrical portion 'in a plane longitudinally removed outwardly of said free edge of the tank to prevent injury to" the enamel liningY and provide .the tank with Tan upstanding troughv tol entrap Waste products spilled over the'iipper endof the tank in service.

2. The method of claim 1' in whichthe end closure member is a second tank similarly constructed with an open' end' facing the open end of the rst named tank and the tanks are joined with vtheir corresponding freeend edges spaced axiallyrapart bythe larger diameter cylindrical wall portionof 'a common trough structure, and in which the n'al step severs the cylindrical Wall portion of said troughl structure to provide two separate tanks each with a trough extending circumferentially of the open end edge thereof.

EWALD SCHMITZ. RAYMOND C.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Richman Dec. 18, 1923 Number 

